CMass Tennis Tourney: Rangers hope to keep rolling

Saturday

May 19, 2007 at 12:01 AMMay 19, 2007 at 7:04 PM

Cameron Smith/Daily News Staff

"Two years ago, when I had players in both semifinals, they actually moved a bench in between the two courts so I could coach both players at the same time," said Allen, the Westborough tennis patriarch who boasts the only complete roster - three singles players, two doubles teams - still alive in the CMass Boys Individual Tennis Tournament. "It was really fun. I think any coach would love to be in that situation."

This year's split bench could come Sunday, with Westborough's two doubles teams separated by a single seeding. The team's top duo, Jason Lemack and Zack O'Leary, enter as the region's top seed while David Levine and Jamie Lown combine to take the No. 3 position.

Adding to Levine and Lown's relative confidence is a recent rough patch - two losses in as many weeks - by their semifinal opponents, Chris Bannon and Mike Breen of St. John's. The sudden setbacks have the lower-seeded Rangers duo confident they can spring an upset, forcing their coach to a split bench once again, this time with a title on the line.

"I think there's a chance, and not a small one, that our two doubles teams could both reach the final," Allen said. "I think if that happened I wouldn't coach either team and just let them play it out. Both of them are confident they can win."

Like the boys tournament, the CMass Girls bracket features a heavy dose of Westborough and Nashoba flavor. The Rangers have three entrants: Alexa Ebert and Marybeth Ash in singles and Courtney Tanner and Cameron Crowder in the doubles draw. Fallon Chow, a singles competitor, and the duo of Andrea Nixon and Rebecca Straney represent Nashoba, while Hopedale has high hopes for Grace Burberry-Martin, one of the top contenders for the singles crown.

That's assuming they get a chance to play. The tournaments, which are scheduled to begin in Marlborough (boys) and Shrewsbury (girls) with singles matches at 9 a.m., run a serious risk of being postponed, or canceled, by heavy rainfall. While four other tournaments had already adjusted times or sites, neither the boys or girls Central tournaments had announced schedule adjustments as of 9 p.m. last night.

Whenever they do play, a pair of double-local matchups highlight the boys singles draw. No. 8 seed Josh Lurier, a Westborough star, will face hard-charging Algonquin ace Charley Jang in one semifinal while fellow Ranger Josh Hurwitz hopes to continue his run against seventh-seeded Tomahawk Nate Davis. The other Westborough entry, third-seeded Chris Dragoon, will be the only heavy favorite of the trio, but could still find trouble with Wachusett's John Carlson, a noted volleyer who may have success keeping Dragoon's powerful serve in play.

But no matter how much success the Westborough trio achieves tomorrow, in all likelihood any winners will face the looming spector of St. John's star Danny Johnson. The undefeated top-seed is the tournament's heavy favorite, a distinction so clear that Allen separated him from the rest of the field when addressing its relative parity.

While the Elon College-bound Dragoon, Westborough's top singles player, had few mental guidelines for attacking Carlson, he had a much better understanding of potential semifinal opponent Evan Clark (of Bromfield) and - he hopes - Johnson.

"I'm thinking that hopefully I'll be able to get some wins and hopefully get another shot at Danny in the finals," Dragoon said of his expectations. "Maybe I'll win one of these times (against Johnson). I honestly didn't know who I had first (before being told), I don't think I've faced him (Carlson) before. It kind of works to my advantage when someone comes to the net, so depending on what my coach tells me that will definitely help my strategy.

"I don't want to look ahead of myself, but if I am fortunate enough to get past John, I'd face the winner of Evan Clark's match. He's big and strong and someone definitely not to be taken lightly."

For his part, Hurwitz is content to play the role of spoiler to Davis' run. The junior has found happiness as a key cog in his team's 15-0 start in the No. 3 slot for Westborough. Hurwitz's cat-and-mouse, volley-heavy game often frustrates opponents into unforced errors. It's a technique he's perfected since making a run to the semifinals of this tournament as the No. 6 seed his freshman year.

With no pressure or expectations hanging over his head, Hurwitz has found himself rejuvenated as an underdog, buoying the reputation of his entire team in the process.

"Obviously Nate's (Davis) a strong player, but certainly the confidence level is high because I've been here before," Hurwitz said. "I'm just going to play my game and hope that it works.

"I have a chance to show the depth of our program. As a No. 3 singles player I'm pretty low on the team, but the fact that we can all make this tournament shows that we can go far not just as individuals, but as a team."

If more than one of the Rangers does go far, Allen may have a front-row look at just how deep his program has become, perhaps on two courts simultaneously.

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